select the most suitable candidate for the job. Selection techniques
are many and varied and the following section provides an overall
summary of some of the main methods used.
Selection techniques
People who staff organizations are the most important single influ-
ence in ensuring the future success of the organization. However,
creating this level of competence cannot be accomplished overnight.
So often poor employee selection begins with poorly trained or
untrained interviewers not fully analysing the requirements of the
job. Frequently, interviewers do not ask the right questions to deter-
mine whether or not the applicants are suitable for the job and they
rely too much on ‘gut’ feel rather than objective evaluation. The first
step then in avoiding these pitfalls is to ensure that the interviewers
are skilled at employee selection and that they are able to detail a
person specification which represents the ideal candidate for the
position. One of the most widely used frameworks used for this
purpose is Rodger’s seven-point plan.^5 This plan includes: physical
make-up; attainments; general intelligence; special aptitudes; inter-
ests; disposition; and circumstances, as key issues in determining a
person specification. Organizational criteria and functional/depart-
mental criteria should also be considered as part of the selection
process.^6 Organizational criteria refers to those attributes that an
organization considers valuable in its employees and that affect
judgements about a candidate’s potential to be successful in an
organization. For example, an organization may be focused on
developing a more customer-oriented culture and wishes to employ
people who are warm and friendly and good at communicating
with customers. Functional/departmental criteria refers to specific
skills required by departments. For example, a finance department
may require candidates to have excellent numeracy skills.
Careful selection is critical if companies are to be successful and
gain a competitive advantage. Companies should search for indi-
viduals whose values and motivations are congruent with the orga-
nization’s service ethic. Employee suitability, therefore, should not
necessarily be based on technical skills, which can be taught later,
but on psychographic characteristics. In evaluating applicants there
are a whole range of selection techniques available from the more
common interview, through to self-assessment, group methods and
The recruitment and internal market domains 309